Authentication apparatus, authentication system, authentication method, and recording medium having authentication program recorded thereon

• US 8,842,307 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King
• Assistant Examiner(s): Menberu, Beniyam
• Application Number:
  US12/491,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5066 by using information from an external support, e.g. magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers

Abstract

Print data including a provisional registration command is received. When the print data including the provisional registration command is received, an authentication code is obtained. The authentication code is stored in a user information DB. Provisional registration data is obtained from the user information DB. Then, a list of provisional registration data is displayed. It is determined whether the provisional registration data is selectively input or not. If the provisional registration data is selectively input, user information in which IC card information or biological information and the authentication code are associated with each other is transmitted to an authentication server. The authentication server executes a process of registering the received user information.

Claims

1. An authentication apparatus comprising:

a network reception portion for receiving an authentication code included in a provisional registration command, the provisional registration command being input at a user terminal;

an inquiring unit for inquiring whether information corresponding to the authentication code is stored in an authentication server;

a memory for storing the authentication code received by the network reception portion for provisional registration when the information corresponding to the authentication code is not stored in said authentication server;

a reading device for reading identification data that is card identification information of an IC card or biological information; and

a controller for controlling an authentication apparatus, said controller obtaining an authentication result of said authentication server based on said identification data read by said reading device;

determining whether the authentication code is stored in said memory when the authentication result indicates authentication has failed;

obtaining the authentication code from said memory;

transmitting user information to said authentication server to be registered for full registration in the authentication server when the authentication code has been determined to be stored in said memory and the authentication result indicates authentication has failed, the user information including the identification data read by said reading device and the authentication code obtained from said memory, the identification data and the authentication code being associated with each other; and

executing a user authentication process with said authentication server, based on the user information registered as the full registration in said authentication server.

2. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said controller determines whether said reading device has read identification data or not, and

when said reading device has read identification data, said controller determines whether the user information including identification data that matches the identification data read by said reading device exists or not in said authentication server.

3. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said memory stores a plurality of authentication codes input at a plurality of user terminals and received, and

said controller generates, when a plurality of authentication codes are stored in said memory, said user information in which the identification data read by said reading device and the authentication code selected from among said plurality of authentication codes stored in said memory are associated with each other.

4. The authentication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said authentication code includes user identification data and a password,

said authentication apparatus further comprises an input device for accepting an entry of said password from a user, and

said controller determines whether said input device has accepted an entry of the password from a user or not, and

when said input device has accepted an entry of the password, said controller selects an authentication code including a password that matches the password entered by said input device, from among said plurality of authentication codes.

5. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said received authentication code is stored in said memory in association with a password entered at said user terminal,

the authentication apparatus further comprises an input device for accepting an entry of said password from a user, and said controller determines whether said input device has accepted an entry of the password from a user or not, and

when said input device has accepted an entry of the password, said controller obtains an authentication code including a password that matches the password stored in said memory and accepted by said input device.

6. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said reading device reads a plurality of pieces of identification data, and

said controller generates said user information by associating a plurality of pieces of identification data read by said reading device with the authentication code stored in said memory.

7. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reception portion for receiving print data having said authentication code attached thereto; and

a printer for executing a printing process, wherein

said controller determines whether said reading device has read identification data or not,

when said reading device has read identification data, said controller determines whether the user information including identification data that matches the identification data read by said reading device exists or not in said authentication server,

said controller obtains, when the user information including the identification data exists in said authentication server, an authentication code associated with said identification data included in the user information registered in said authentication server,

said controller determines whether said reception portion has received print data having said authentication code attached thereto that matches the obtained authentication code, and

said controller outputs, when said authentication code attached print data matches the obtained authentication code, the print data to said printer for executing the printing process.

8. The authentication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controller determines whether prescribed print data having an authentication code attached thereto was received at said reception portion, and

when reception portion has received prescribed print data having an authentication code attached thereto, said controller registers said authentication code attached prescribed print data in said memory.

9. An authentication system comprising:

an information processing apparatus for executing a prescribed function;

an authentication server connected to said information processing apparatus through a network to be used to execute a user authentication process for using said information processing apparatus; and

a user terminal connected through said network for transmitting an authentication code,

said information processing apparatus including

a network reception portion for receiving the authentication code included in a provisional registration command, the provisional registration command being input at the user terminal;

an inquiring unit for inquiring whether information corresponding to the authentication code is stored in the authentication server;

a memory for storing the authentication code received by the network reception portion for provisional registration when the information corresponding to the authentication code is not stored in the authentication server;

a reading device for reading identification data that is card identification information of an IC card or biological information;

an obtaining portion for obtaining an authentication result from the authentication server based on the identification data read by said reading device;

a determination portion for determining whether the authentication code is stored in said memory when the authentication result indicates authentication has failed; and

a transmission portion for transmitting user information to the authentication server to be registered for full registration in the authentication server when the determination portion determines the authentication code has been determined to be stored in said memory and the authentication result indicates authentication has failed, the user information including the identification data read by said reading device and the authentication code received by the network reception portion, the identification data and the authentication code being associated with each other,

said authentication server including

a reception portion for receiving the authentication code transmitted from said user terminal and the identification data transmitted from said transmission portion, and

a controller for registering the identification data as user information in association with the authentication code received in said reception portion as full registration,

said controller for executing said user authentication process.

10. An authentication method comprising the steps of:

receiving an authentication code included in a provisional registration command, the provisional registration command being input at a user terminal;

reading identification data that is card identification information of an IC card or biological information;

inquiring whether information corresponding to the authentication code is stored in an authentication server;

storing the received authentication code for provisional registration when the information corresponding to the authentication code is not stored in the authentication server;

obtaining an authentication result from an authentication server based on the identification data;

determining whether said authentication code is stored when the authentication result indicates authentication has failed;

transmitting user information to said authentication server to be registered for full registration in the authentication server when said authentication code has been determined to be stored in said memory and said authentication result indicates authentication has failed, the user information including the identification data being read by said reading step and said authentication code being received at said receiving step, the identification data and the authentication code being associated with each other for registration in an authentication server; and

executing a user authentication process with said authentication server, based on the user information registered as the full registration in said authentication server.

11. A non-transitory recording medium having an authentication program recorded thereon for causing a computer to execute processing including the steps of:

receiving an authentication code included in a provisional registration command, the provisional registration command being input at a user terminal;

reading identification data that is card identification information of an IC card or biological information;

inquiring whether information corresponding to the authentication code is stored in an authentication server;

storing the received authentication code for provisional registration when the information corresponding to the authentication code is not stored in the authentication server;

obtaining an authentication result from an authentication server based on the identification data;

determining whether said authentication code is stored when said authentication result indicates authentication has failed;

transmitting user information to said authentication server to be registered for full registration in the authentication server when said authentication code has been determined to be stored and said authentication result indicates authentication has failed, the user information including the identification data being read by said reading step and said authentication code being received at said receiving step, the identification data and the authentication code being associated with each other for registration in an authentication server; and

executing a user authentication process with said authentication server, based on the user information registered as the full registration in said authentication server.